North Slope Borough, Alaska
| founded date = July 2 | founded title = Incorporated | seat wl = Barrow | largest city wl = Barrow | area_total_sq_mi = 94796 | area_land_sq_mi = 88695 | area_water_sq_mi = 6101 | area percentage = 6.4% | census estimate yr = 2017 | pop = 9,782 | density_sq_mi = 0.1 | web = www.north-slope.org | district = At-large | time zone = Alaska }} North Slope Borough, established in 1972, is a borough bounded on the south by the Brooks Range and located largely in the North Slope region of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the northernmost municipality on the North American continent. As of the 2010 census, the population was 9,430. The borough seat is Barrow, Alaska. Utqiaġvik, the city’s native name, is the Iñupiaq name for the location, meaning "the place to gather roots."Communities. Arctic Slope Regional Corporation, 2007. The mayor is Harry K. Brower, Jr., first elected in a special election in July 2016 after recall of the previous mayor by an April 2016 election. History The borough was established in 1972 by an election of the majority indigenous people in the region following Congressional passage of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. The Borough had first-class status and exercised the powers of planning, zoning, taxation and schools. In 1974 it adopted a Home Rule Charter, enabling it to exercise any legitimate governmental power."Your Government", North Slope Borough; accessed 3 November 2016 Government It has a seven-member assembly body, elected to staggered three-year terms. The Borough's executive and administrative powers are vested in a Mayor, who is limited to two consecutive three-year terms. Politics The current mayor, Harry K. Brower Jr, was first elected in July 2016 in a run-off election to serve the rest of former mayor Charlotte Brower's second term. She was recalled in April 2016, after it was reported the year before that her office had made numerous donations to individuals (including family members), sports clubs and other groups that amounted to more than $800,000 since 2011.Lisa Demer, "North Slope Borough mayor ousted in recall election", Alaska Dispatch News, 17 May 2016; accessed 3 November 2016 Former mayor, Eugene Brower, Charlotte's husband, was convicted of tax evasion involving contractor kickbacks three decades earlier.Mayor Brower investigated for ethics violation, Arctic Sounder, Carey Restino, July 18, 2015. Retrieved January 11, 2018. Harry Brower is Charlotte's brother-in-law. Her predecessor, Edward Itta, had succeeded George Ahmaogak and served two terms, 2005-2011. in 2011 Charlotte Brower defeated former mayor, George Ahmaogak, in a runoff after it was revealed that he had billed the Borough for a family vacation in Hawaii. Ahmaogak's wife Maggie, had been convicted of embezzlement from the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission in 2015.Whaling panel's former director gets prison time, Alaska Journal of Commerce, November 30, 2012. Retrieved January 11, 2018. Harry Brower ran for a full term as mayor in October 2017, but was forced into a November runoff against his nephew, Frederick Brower, where he easily won a full 3-year term .Associated Press, "Former mayor's brother-in-law elected North Slope Borough mayor", KTUU NewsHarry Brower retains mayoral seat in North Slope Borough runoff election, Alaska Dispatch News, Lisa Demer, November 8, 2017. Retrieved January 11, 2018. Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of , of which is land and (6.4%) is water. The borough is larger than 39 states. Its western coastline is along the Chukchi Sea, while its eastern shores (beyond Point Barrow) are on the Beaufort Sea. The North Slope Borough is the largest county-level political subdivision in the United States by area, with a larger land area than that of the state of Utah (UT is the 13th-largest state in the nation). Although the adjacent Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area is larger in area, it has no borough-level government. The borough is the fourth-least densely populated county-level entity in the United States. The Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area is the least densely populated county-level entity). Adjacent boroughs and census areas * Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska - southeast * Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska - southwest It shares its eastern border with Yukon, Canada, which has no subdivisions. National protected areas * Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge (part of the Chukchi Sea unit) ** Cape Lisburne ** Cape Thompson * Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (part) ** Mollie Beattie Wilderness (part) * Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve (part) ** Gates of the Arctic Wilderness (part) * Noatak National Preserve (part) ** Noatak Wilderness (part) Other federal areas * National Petroleum Reserve–Alaska Demographics |align-fn=center |footnote=U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2017 }} As of the census of 2010, there were 7,385 people, 2,109 households, and 1,524 families residing in the borough. The population density was |sqmi|km2}} per person. There were 2,538 housing units at an average density of |sqmi|km2}} per unit. The racial makeup of the borough was 17.09% White, 0.72% Black or African American, 68.38% Native American, mostly Inuit, 5.92% Asian, 0.84% Pacific Islander, 0.50% from other races, and 6.55% from two or more races. 2.37% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race. 42.84% reported speaking Iñupiaq or "Eskimo" at home, while 4.21% reported speaking Tagalog. There were 2,109 households out of which 48.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.3% were married couples living together, 18.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.70% were non-families. 21.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 1.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.45 and the average family size was 4.05. In the borough the population was spread out with 38.2% under the age of 18, 9.50% from 18 to 24, 30.1% from 25 to 44, 18.10% from 45 to 64, and 4.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females, there were 112.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 113.90 males. Communities Cities *Anaktuvuk Pass *Atqasuk *Barrow *Kaktovik *Nuiqsut *Point Hope *Wainwright Census-designated places *Point Lay *Prudhoe Bay Other unincorporated places *Alpine *Deadhorse *Sagwon *Umiat See also *Eskimo *Inuit *Iñupiat *Iñupiaq *List of airports in Alaska *Nalukataq References External links *North-Slope.org - Official Borough Website *Borough map, 2000 census: Alaska Department of Labor *Borough map, 2010 census: Alaska Department of Labor Category:North Slope Borough, Alaska Category:Chukchi Sea Category:Beaufort Sea Category:1972 establishments in Alaska Category:Settlements established in 1972